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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly five times greater global warming emissions than official figures show, as per a recent analysis.

Growing Gap In Official and Actual Emissions

Statistics shows that PHEVs emit only one-fifth less CO₂ than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy organization. That contrasts sharply with lab estimates, which suggested a 75% reduction in emissions.

Researchers studied information from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are rising, while lab-reported figures are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst participating in the study. “This discrepancy is growing and creates a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as petrol cars.”

Key Factors Driving the Discrepancy

Analysts attributed the majority of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of kilometers driven in battery mode relative to total distance. They found that just 27% of travel was done in EV mode, while lab assumptions suggested 84%.

Additionally, when running in electric mode, pollution amounts were significantly higher than lab projections. That occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, leading to engines using gasoline for nearly a third of the distance completed in EV mode.

Policy and Financial Consequences

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled several large carmaker groups to escape more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by falsely easing compliance with EU fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, owners of PHEVs could spend about €500 extra per year in running expenses than is assumed under laboratory conditions.

“The strong statements that automakers often promote about their PHEV vehicles are obviously way off the truth,” commented a automotive expert. “Consumers are being duped into thinking that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are little better than regular gas and diesel cars in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ production, and operating costs.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid cars have lately been drawn again into policy discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to relax CO₂ targets. A planned ban on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car industry and resistance from EU countries with significant automotive industries.

Several high-level officials have suggested PHEVs as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the regulation.

One external energy economics specialist, who was unaffiliated with the research, called the analysis a “very useful addition” after years in which parts of the automotive sector claimed there was insufficient data to accurately assess real-world emissions.

“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between lab and real-world PHEV energy use and CO₂ output is much, much greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” they said. “Any regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be made with extreme caution and in the light of that evidence.”